The present invention relates to diagnostic ultrasound systems. In particular, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for acquiring and processing ultrasound data to highlight artifacts in ultrasound images.
At least some known ultrasonic systems are capable of spatially compounding a number of ultrasound images of a given target that have been obtained from a plurality of steering angles. The images are combined into a single compounded image by combining the data received from each point in the compound image target which has been received from each steering angle. Real time spatial compound imaging may be performed by acquiring a series of partially overlapping component image frames from substantially independent steering angles. An array transducer may be utilized to implement electronic beam steering and/or electronic translation of the component frames. The component frames are combined into a compound image by summation, averaging, peak detection, or other combinational means. The compounded image may display relatively lower speckle and better specular reflector delineation than a non-spatially compounded ultrasound image from a single angle. Distal end shadows of attenuative objects in the field of view may also be reduced when using spatial compounding.
Further, spatial compound imaging may facilitate improving image quality by improving specular interface acquisition and reducing distal end shadows of objects in the field of view. For example, a density interface, or acoustic impedance may produce a strong echo when the ultrasound beam is exactly perpendicular to a surface of the interface, and a relatively weak echo when the beam is only a few degrees off perpendicular. Spatial compounding acquires views of the interface from a plurality of different angles, making the curved interface visible and continuous over a larger field of view and reducing the effects of distal end shadowing. However, simply removing specular interference and distal end shadows from the image may also remove valuable diagnostic information from the image.
Although spatial compounding may improve image quality by reducing and specular reflections and distal end shadows, spatial compounding may also reduce the viewing capability of bodies of interest within these areas.